Eagles joint practice recap: Which players boosted their stock on the road? Which ones struggled?

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Eagles training camp is now behind us. The team finished the 16th and final practice of the preseason by themselves at the Baptist Health training complex after the Miami Dolphins canceled their practice to contain a stomach bug.

But there were still three meaningful joint practices against opponents to recap, including two last week while facing the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles and Dolphins after practicing together Wednesday are scheduled to play in the preseason finale at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.

Beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino attended training camp sessions that spanned across four weeks and three states. Here are their thoughts on players who exceeded expectations, followed by the players who underachieved.

» READ MORE: NFL Preseason Week 3 Preview: Dolphins vs. Eagles odds, prediction and picks

Smith: Linebacker/Edge Haason Reddick

Going into Ohio, it would have been fair to say Reddick was having a quiet training camp. The obvious question was whether that was a matter of Reddick struggling or Lane Johnson thriving.

After four joint practices, any notion that Reddick isn’t rounding into form would be misguided. The Eagles edge rusher had dominant moments both against the Browns and the Dolphins, which is especially encouraging when you consider both teams have talented offensive tackles in their own right.

» READ MORE: The Eagles’ Haason Reddick changed his career path with the help of family and hometown ties

Smith: Defensive end Tarron Jackson

Reddick wasn’t the only edge rusher to wreck a few plays on the road. Josh Sweat could have easily been on this list of risers as well, but Jackson has outperformed relative expectations a bit more and gets the nod.

Jackson looks like a solid rotational edge rusher in his second year, something the team will be more than happy to see out of a sixth-round pick. His strong practices while facing Cleveland didn’t translate to the game as much as he’d probably like, but he has shown enough to secure a roster spot and challenge for playing time once the games actually count.

Tolentino: Wide receiver DeVonta Smith

Is it even possible to have last year’s top draft pick, who set the franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie, on this list? Certainly, especially considering Smith missed more than one week of practice with a groin injury. Despite the time away, Smith rejoined his teammates and he was effortlessly plugged into the passing offense. Such is the mindset of the former Heisman Trophy award winner.

» READ MORE: DeVonta Smith is bulking up thanks to his ‘Wawa addiction’

Smith concludes training camp on a heater. In consecutive practices over the past week, the No. 10 pick from 2021 was on the receiving end of multiple jaw-dropping catches. His final highlight of camp: a leaping contested catch over Dolphins cornerback Nik Needham, who tugged at Smith’s jersey and was flagged for pass interference. Still, Smith was the victor of the 50-50 ball from Jalen Hurts, who says Smith is much stronger and more explosive compared to last season. If that’s the case, Smith’s quest in becoming one of the top receivers in the league is on the fast track — even if he’s sharing targets with A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert.

Tolentino: Quarterback Reid Sinnett

Coach Nick Sirianni maintained an elegant poker face when asked for his opinion on keeping two or three quarterbacks. The Eagles could very well keep Hurts and Gardner Minshew on the 53-man roster, while cutting Sinnett and Carson Strong with the hope that Sinnett clears waivers and lands back on the team’s practice squad. But Sinnett’s generated enough exposure over the past year to give him a decent shot at clinching a roster spot as a backup, whether it be in Philadelphia or elsewhere.

The former University of San Diego quarterback possesses a cannon right arm. His touchdown completion to Devon Allen netted 59.6 yards in air distance, according to Next Gen Stats. It’s the longest completed pass by any quarterback in the preseason.

» READ MORE: What’s it like to be teammates in the NFL with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa? Reid Sinnett knows

Smith: Linebacker Davion Taylor

The visual of Davion Taylor failing to get Browns quarterback Josh Dobbs out of bounds in the second preseason game is hard to shake.

What’s even harder to shake is just how lost the third-year linebacker looked for most of his game action. Taylor made plays early in training camp and his athleticism pops at times, but it’s difficult not to wonder if he’ll ever be able to overcome his lack of experience, especially at a position that requires so many instincts and processing speed.

» READ MORE: What we learned from Eagles-Browns: Davion Taylor and defense struggle

Smith: Defensive end Milton Williams

It’s been a mostly uneventful summer for Milton Williams, who flashed some serious potential during his rookie season.

The Eagles’ defensive tackle depth chart is crowded. Williams can spend time in the 4i spot or even as a defensive end in an odd front, but he hasn’t generated enough pressure in practice to suggest he’d warrant many snaps as an interior rusher.

Tolentino: Running back Miles Sanders

Sanders, who enters the final year of his rookie contract, could pop off in a few weeks when the regular season begins, and prove his doubters wrong, as he insists. But the former Penn State tailback has been held out of practice over the past week due to a hamstring issue after the team initially designated him with leg soreness. Soft tissue injuries are never a positive sign at the beginning of the season, especially with a player like Sanders, who sustained multiple injuries throughout the 2021 season. But the team is hopeful he’ll be ready for Week 1, and the belief is Sanders is being held out of practice as a precautionary measure.

What can’t be argued is the 25-year-old’s explosiveness. Sanders ranks third among NFL running backs in rushing average (5.08 per carry) since 2019 behind only Nick Chubb and Jonathan Taylor. If Sanders can stay healthy for a full season, he’ll present a strong case as he seeks a contract extension in Year 4.

Tolentino: Cornerback Zech McPhearson

McPhearson has been tasked with some tough assignments this summer. At times with the first-team offense going against the second-team defense, McPhearson has lined up against Brown and Smith, and the results often haven’t favored the second-year defensive back who was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft. It’s also been tough for McPhearson to find any type of consistent playing time, which is a testament to the top trio ahead of him on the depth chart featuring Darius Slay, James Bradberry, and Avonte Maddox.

If McPhearson can develop into a reliable plug-and-play defensive back in Year 2, he’ll represent a nice piece within Jonathan Gannon’s defense. Last season, McPhearson appeared in a team-high 325 special-teams snaps, becoming the first rookie to lead the Eagles in special-teams snaps since 2012.

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s final preseason game against the Miami and recap the joint practice leading into the game. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday